美国犹太人历史博物馆

This is a definite must in Philadelphia! Go see the Independence Hall stuff as that is part of American history, but to get a great perspective on how much Jews in this country have contributed to the United States, go visit the National Museum of American Jewish History. This excellent museum will show how much of American history and culture is owed to a population that has never been over 2% in the U.S. Census. There are four floors dedicated to different eras of the United States. You need to start on the fourth floor as it starts way before the United States was ever a country. The great displays, multi-faceted presentations, and interactive exhibits give one a better understanding of what it was like back then, not just for Jews, but anyone religious person (Early colonists in one state tried to keep the Jews out, but found it to their advantage to include them due to their many talents). It was great to see the original George Washington letter to the Providence, Rhode Island synagogue (Touro Synagogue) on display.Each floor keeps you riveted. It is that good! My 22 year old son balked at going, but we ended up spending over two hours at NMAJH. If you get tired during your visit, there are plenty of places to rest your feet. On one floor, my son and I sat in some comfortable chairs for about 15 minutes while we listened to Jewish music, and music composed and sung by Jewish artists.There are film clips on the ground floor that will entertain you for quite a while. The floor above it has some old television clips from the 1950s and 1960s, where Jews had big influence on the highly popular medium. And, let’s not forget about the movie studios! The National Museum of American Jewish History has an area dedicated to the movie studios when they ruled Hollywood. Every one of the giant studios was run by a Jew. Though I knew about most of them, I did not realize how much Jews had invested in Hollywood. NMAJH does a great job of explaining why that came about (It is not for what many may think).If you want some interesting Judaica that will not be found everywhere, check out their gift shop! I almost bought some locally made jewelry. In that area is a café that serves Kosher food. Despite being a museum about Jews, the café is open on Saturday – the Jewish Sabbath.I have been to Jewish museums from Amsterdam to London to many places in the United States. The National Museum of American Jewish History has to be my favorite. Do not think this is another Holocaust museum! It is more about American history, immigration, and culture in the United States for almost four centuries. If you like American history, you will love this museum. Besides, it is just a few minutes’ walk from Independence Hall. When I am back in Philadelphia, I will just pick one floor to totally immerse myself in what this wonderful museum has to offer. Maybe I will get one of their docents to enlighten me even more. Since my oldest son lives in Philly, I shall be doing that soon.

Ive visited this museum many times. It is never very crowded. Its worth checking out. The facility is modern. Exhibits are well organized chronologically. Every ethnic and religious group has a unique and compelling origin story about its American experience. This museum looks at the history of American jews. Museums are difficult to rate. If you have zero interest in the subject then obviously don't go. But if you have any interest in the immigrant experience then this museum is a must visit.

Really excellent but I could have spent more time there and I was there nearly 3 hours. Allot enough time and you will be astounded at what you learn. The films on the 3rd floor are a must

What a great job they did telling the story. It starts on the 4th floor back in the 1800s and brings you down to the 2nd floor to more modern times. I am not Jewish and was amazed at the history and impact they have had on America.We took a docent tour and I would recommend that, the issues is sometimes the spots get cramped and it may be hard to,hear if the group is big. Our docent did a really nice job..The film clips on the 1st floor were really cool and they have a gift shop and dining, very clean and comfortable. We allowed 21/2 hours based on what some neighbors told us we really needed more time then that.

very informative about Jews in America. Also had wonderful film shorts of famous actors whowere Jewish. A beautiful Museum. Made me proud to be a Jew.

This is one of the newest museums in Philadelphia. With such a wide variety of interesting information that you will ever learn. Jewish history told unlike anywhere else. With photos and personal belonging to some of the most famous Jewish people.

This museum has a lot of info and original documents and pictures. It often has special presentations. Look it up before you go to find out what is new there.There is a letter from George Washington that thanks the Jews and praises them. I loved seeing that. There is a story about how early colonists in one state tried to keep the Jews out and they found out how much talent the Jews had and that it was to their advantage to include them as citizens of the state. The governor wrote a letter admonishing the citizens on just that and welcoming the Jews. I found the upper floors on colonial history and early years after the Declaration to be most interesting. So start at the top.The museum lost my interest for most of the lower floors, with some good things, but in the main, a bit dry for my taste.

Not very much to look at, huge building with sparse collection, at least it got us out of the cold to warm up ...

Fantastic museum. Great combination of films, reading, photos, hands on exhibits, first person experience exhibits. Love the layout by era. Start at the top and make your way downstairs, Great for the whole family because the information is in short write ups. Had something for everyone.

Went on Feb 14 . Were surprised that admission was FREE . We opted for a tour (also free) that lasted 1 hour and covers 2 floors of the museum , I think there are 4 . Our guide was Stephen and he is straight up awesome. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. The tour gives a quick story of different era's and then you can go back and revisit what you want to look at closer. I would allow 2hrs min but really you could do 3+ if you find interest in Jewish history\people . I knew nothing about Jewish religion and culture but found this to be a great museum .

Our friend, a well-traveled, travel writer recommended this museum to us and we found it of Smithsonian quality. Our docent was exceptional and her enthusiasm with European, American and Jewish historu

We were impressed the the breadth and range of approaches they used to share information about American Jewish History. There was a very interesting video based exhibit on the main level highlighting American Jews of influence, which was very well done! We wish we had given ourselves more time there. The 2.5 hours we had were not enough!

The museum is interesting. Idem for the museum shop (expensive but full of unusual objects). Walking distance from major tourist attractions.

I found this to be one of the best museums I have ever visited. It is totally engaging, organized chronologically by floor to tell the complex story of Jews in America. I learned a lot and was enthralled by the artfully designed exhibits which included a focus on individual stories as well as the broader scope of this history. From colonial times to the present, it presented a rich and nuanced museum experience. This would be an excellent destination for kids, with lots of physical artifacts, audio stories, etc. as much as for adults. Also, if you think you are not that interested in the specific history of American Jews, this museum will make you think again. It is a unique story, certainly, but one that ties into the overall history of the country and the American Dream so much that it really is another lens to view the multifaceted history of the US,I highly recommend this - hadn't planned to visit until walked by and saw it..... but it is worth planning for!

This can be a quick visit. I went through the museum by myself in about two hours. I had a couple hours before having to head to the airport and decided to check the museum out. There was a lot of interesting information. I learned some new things and enjoyed the displays. The gift shop was adorable and couldn't resist buying something. I highly recommend this museum.